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The anise is definitely strong, but not unpleasantly so. There is something in there mixed with the anise that smells quite interesting; possibly the vetiver? It reminds me of something I may have had in my tea sometimes; as I brew crazy mixes of herbal teas, that doesn't help much, does it? I assure you it is neither oak leaf nor lichen, so maybe my skin is breaking up the civet bouquet?

Quite an interesting smell; not one I would wear regularly, but an okay occasional. I did not think of myself as much of a cave lichen person.

This did not last long on me; however, I will give the imp a chance.

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Ah. Black Annis, the pest of my imp box. I thought of throwing it out (but the review points!), trying it out before a shower (what if it doesn't wash off?), and frimping it off (they'll never trade with me again). I thought of buying a Super Soaker, filling it with diluted Black Annis, and storing it out on the balcony for the next time a loud, drunken party passes under my window at four o'clock in the morning.

Instead, I put it on.

Black Annis... smells like anise running around, flailing its hands and trying to cover up the bad B.O. smell of the civet. It wasn't as bad as I'd expected -- no cat piss, no barf. Just an uncleanly geek that the room spray couldn't hide.

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I decided to try Black Annis because I really do like the smell of anise, and since minilux (a civet lover) and I share some scent preferences, I decided that maybe, in fact, civet might not bother me. I've learned to really enjoy dark musk, so why not some civet, huh?

Well... I dunno. I sniffed the Black Annis in the imp and shut it promptly. Those animal smells just remind me too much of being a kid, walking around in the wooded areas by a stream, and smelling wild animal pee. But I did get the anise scent, and that was nice. It was just the civet. Then I opened it again later, only this time I got some on my fingers. Oh no! The civet went into full bloom very rapidly. Arrrgggh. I have an anise hyssop plant in my garden, and I love the way it smells. What I was smelling on my fingers was like I'd picked some anise hyssop that my cat had peed on, then rolled around on top of it and crushed it into the mulch. Not pretty, not one little bit.

But not to be totally negative... that's on my body chemistry. My DH always wants to try animalistic smells that I hate, so he put some on right away. On him, the civet blooms briefly, but then the beast is tamed and the anise smell remains, with a dark undertow of civet. It's really very nice on him. He kind of likes it and I don't even mind it. So truly, it's all in the body chemistry!

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Oh Beth and lab, thanks for the imp of Black Annis How I love this! It always intrigued me when I read the description but I was worried about trying it. I don't get much civet from this, just an extremely faint note. It smells herbally, licorice-y and reminds me of what you'd smell like after a good romp in slightly damp leaves in the late fall. I like it wet, and like it even more dry. It dries to a comforting, mossy scent. Count me in the group who loves, loves, loves the old Hag Black Annis!

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I have my little imp out, and I tend to keep my reviews to myself on my LiveJournal because I still feel like a "new" nose, but I had to come read other reviews on Black Annis after my experience with it, and now I'm compelled to share.

Out of the bottle, this smelled like the not-sharp side of Star Anise (which I like) and pipe tobacco. Apparently, I'm only one of a few people who get a very strong cigar/tobacco note from the scent. I know civet - I have a love-hate relationship with civet. However, I didn't know any of what was in this scent when I put it on. All I smelled was anise and pipe tobacco.

After about a half hour, all I could smell was cigar shop. I couldn't take it anymore. It was starting to give me a faint headache. So I washed it off with a little cold water and a washcloth. All I managed to do was tame it a little. I still smell it.

Now that I've read what's in it (I don't read beforehand, and I never remember when I've read it more than an hour before I try it), I can very clearly identify the civet in it. I can't find the moss or the vetiver. Just civet. Like I said, there's a little love-hate there with civet; I can't stand it - I can't stand it - I can't stand it - ooo, that whiff is nice - I can't stand it - hmm, sexy... - no, wait, I can't stand it.

After washing it off ten minutes ago, still all I can smell is civet (which reminds me strongly of cigars and pipe tobacco) and I keep going love-hate on it. And I can't get it off...

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Black Annis smells distinctly like anise/licorice and what I originally thought was myrrh, but which I know now is vetiver. Those two scents blend really well with together. I don't smell the other notes that are in this blend. It's deep and has just a touch of spiciness, and if I didn't know better, I'd guess there's a drop of patchouli in the blend, as well. I love the scent of anise/black licorice, and I'm really drawn to this scent, although I would have never guessed as much based on reading the lab description alone. I don't see myself wearing this scent often, but I want to have it on hand because I have a feeling that when I'm in the mood for a scent like this, nothing else is going to do and I'm going to need by Black Annis.

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In the imp: Erm, this does smell a little off to me. Oddly enough, I don't think it is necessarily the civet--anise isn't so great on me either. I think that the combination might be causing the trouble.

Wet: For all I've heard about this oil, it doesn't start off too bad--the licorice that many have described. However, about 10 mins. in, it goes into this "aaagh, untimely death!" phase that almost made me throw up. I endured though...yea, verily.

Drydown and wear: After the wretched stage that lasts about 2-3 minutes, the oil settles back down into the licorice, and eventually fades into a very thin and airy scent that is probably the lichen. It's a really fascinating and unique oil, and I'm very appreciative (as always) for the frimp, but I am drowning in perfume, so I'm going to pass this one on. However, I encourage everyone to give this a try, just for the experience.

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I tried this the other day on the way into the shower. My skin has learned through trying both this and Blood Kiss that my body reacts in a very strong way to vetiver. The minute I put a dab on, the whole room was filled with that herby, medicinal green scent of vetiver. It was like nothing else in the oil existed!

I guess vetiver isn't for me...too much herbal scent makes my nose tingle. I imagine this scent being worn by a powerful, dominant woman or a strong man. Either way, this is definitely a scent that oozes strength and a wildness. I might frimp this to a lady friend of mine who is very in to herbal, woody scents. I think I've learned my lesson with vetiver! Me + vetiver = toooo strong.

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I received a package with a scent I'd ordered, and as I was opening the package there was dampness on the scent bottle. It smelled appalling. I knew it didn't smell like what I'd ordered--I opened the bottle and confirmed that wasn't it. And the smell was absolutely horrible. I started to think a cat had had an accident on it, though I'm honestly not sure what cat musk smells like. But it was the closest I could come.

And then I found that the person who'd sent my package had included a couple of gift imps in the package, not so carefully wrapped, and one was Black Annis, and the stopper was cracked and it had leaked.

As soon as I handled it I knew that was what it was. I feel awful saying this about any of BPAL's scents, but, my god, there are people who like this? Reading the blurb on Black Annis and the reviews here, I'm guessing it's the civet that puts me off.

I actually put the scent on my wrist to see, because I harbored thoughts that maybe, just maybe, the scent got better once it was on the skin. And you know what? It did, a little. The licorice of the scent came out more. But licorice-scented cat musk still ain't no bed of roses (and I say that as someone who doesn't care for florals all that much). And then I took a bath, because I didn't think I could bear to live with it any longer.

If I'd had another imp of this I wouldn't even have bothered to re-cap or clean and re-label this imp, but it was the only one I had and it looks like some people do like it, so...it will go to swaps once I start swapping. At least I got an interesting learning experience out of it.

(Wouldn't it be a hoot if it became an acquired taste of mine? I am...curious to see what the dry-down would have been like.)

(And an interesting afternote: I took the saturated label and had someone else smell it, and they said, "Not too bad. Kind of nice." Go figure!)

ETA, Oct 6 2006: I have decided I will not swap this one. I need to keep this around just for the sheer, "Dude. You gotta smell THIS," effect. Including on myself.

Edited October 6, 2006 by steffanina

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I seem to be one of the few people who really *likes* civet. On me, it's like a sexier white musk. It's the scent of sex after a shower -- all the sultry musk with none of the sweaty smell. But I can't actually wear Black Annis: Beth did entirely too good of a job on it and it smells creepy. I wore it last year as a costume scent for a lycanthrope assassin in a roleplaying campaign and it fit her pefectly. I keep the imp around to sniff it and bring back happy memories of the storytelling we did. Maybe eventually I'll lose some of that association and I can try layering it with something warmer...the civet and anise are lovely, but just...brrr...

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This imp was purchased from a forumite "for the civet experience" (else how would I know?). I expected to open it up and go "Ewwwww! Yucky poo smell!" Lucky for me, that's not what happened at all.

Wet: I smell anise, something sweet (oak leaves & lichen) and something that makes me curl up my nose a bit. Civet - hello! It slowly fades, but if I stick my arm in my face, the back of my throat starts to itch.

Drydown: The civet backs off slowly (back away slowly! She's meaner than she looks! ) The anise smells like dried anise seeds that have been pulvarized & filtered through sweet green moss/lichen & leaves. (Anise is a familiar smell; I occasionally walk where anise plants grow & I chew their seeds once they've ripened. The anise in this is mature, not the green unripe seeds).

Dry: The civet is gone. Now its just anise and the green murky sweetness of cave lichen. This is a really pretty blend.

The first time I tried this, I had Absinthe on the other arm. While Absinthe was Bright Green Fennell (which is sweeter) with Herbs (and quite loud), Black Annis was subtle and a bit dark. More introverted. Just lovely.

Enough rambling for now.

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In the imp: liquorice, vetiver and something sweet. A little hint of civet. I don't think I'll like this one much but for the sake of the PokeBPAL 'gotta sniff 'em all' philosophy, I'll see what my skin does to it.

Dry on skin: hmm, interesting. Very interesting. First I get anise, which strangely smells like it's been sugared, a candy-like scent, like black liquorice laces. Then I get a gritty, scary vetiver note tangled up with damp, wet moss. But there's a deep musky sweetness to it as well reminiscent of Czernobog's vetiver-musk, and then the animalistic breath of civet rises up from the scent. Whoa. This is very unsettling as a fragrance. But thankfully the civet hasn't turned to farmyard or 'old man's breath' yet.

After a while: oh dear, the civet has suddenly gone up x10. Yeesh. It wafts too. Now this does smell like bad 'old person's breath'. In here it's particularly nasty, 'predatory' is the word that comes to mind. The sweetness is gone, the anise has hidden behind the vetiver-moss, but the civet rules supreme. This is really an evil scent on me, it makes my skin crawl…

Verdict: be afraid, be very afraid. Beth really has captured a terrifying character into a terrifying scent. The vetiver, and anise combine to create a clashing, gritty scent that is sharp and harsh and the olfactory equivalent of the blood curdling scream of the evil, cannibalistic old hag herself. And then I smell the feral odour of her hot, fetid breath (the civet). All around is the mossy dampness of the cave she resides in, and a deceptive sweetness. Then she gets closer and her sickening, animalistic odour gets even more suffocating, like that of a wild beast closing in on it's prey. The civet is really powerful, and too much for me to handle, with that damp, scrubby, dissonant vetiver-moss base providing the same effect that the musical score of a horror movie provides to produce an atmosphere of terror. I must say, Beth has really captured something really disturbing in here, this scent is something I need to take a few steps back from because it's just so atmospheric, and really evokes a real sense of primal fear. I'm impressed though at how a simple vial of fragrance can really evoke a really raw sense of fear though. This scent is not for the faint of heart or for anyone of a nervous disposition. I'd never wear this again but I'm glad I got to try it because it's one hell of an olfactory ride. Now I need to scrub this stuff off…

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? *shudders* No! This one is really scary but it's so well blended and so disturbingly evocative.

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I love the smell of anise, fennel, and black licorice...even as a perfume smell. So far, this is the closest I've come to finding one (among bpal scents) that does what I want it to. It is heavy on the anise, which is good. I can tell there's a little something more behind it but it's hard to pick out other notes. I think I can smell the civet which I was worried about, but it seems to be behaving here and not getting out of hand. So far I haven't really picked up on the moss or lichen, or oak leaf. I smell a little bit of herbal sweetness behind the anise but that's about it. Not a bad scent at all for me, actually wearable. But it doesn't live up to my dream anise scent, which would have more sugary sweetness and maybe a touch of citrus. So probably no bottle on this one, but I will keep the imp to wear from time to time. : )

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on skin: satan's sock drawer. no, seriously, i can smell every individual note. which is surprising, i'm not usually that discerning. the lichen, the oak leaf, overlaid by a very smoky smell (the civet?), earthy vetiver and light anise.

drydown: the anise is coming out a little more. so now i smell like a licorice cave troll. i've been told to hold out for chocolate elf maiden, i'll have to wait and see.

verdict: black annis smells EXACTLY LIKE the lab description. i'm a little freaked out. i like it, but i seriously doubt i could walk around smelling like hell's backyard. i'll save it for when i'm feeling evil.

Edited December 4, 2006 by kinopela

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Black Annis is a scent that, based on the notes, will not be one I like. I know this. However, I think it is so fantastically cool that Beth does crone blends, not just pretty-pretty-princess blends, that I like to go outside my comfort zone and test the more unusual ones, even if I don't keep them. Besides, something about eating children appeals to me.

On me, this really doesn't smell bad. Licorice and vetiver, with a nice earthy base--herbal, strong, unusual, but not bad. More of a "masculine" scent to my nose, but if you're a blue-faced hag, why quibble about gender nuances? Highly evocative; I'm glad I tried it!

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Black Annis smells like the dank, musty cave, and also, er, chocolate, weirdly. At least at first. I'm not sure what to make of this, since whilst I actually like both scents, I'm not sure about the two, together.

Then the chocolate aspect fades, and we're left in the cave, alone. Like I said, that musty underground smell is one that I like (because it reminds me of the basements and tunnels underneath the castles I used to visit, I think), oddly, but I'm not sure that it's something I'd like to smell of.

Eventually, it fades to something airier, like we're approaching the entrance to the cave.

I don't know about this one. It's not exactly unpleasant, but it feels weird to wear. I think it would suit a man, better; he'd make the most of the muskiness.

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I got this as a frimp since, from the notes, it's not something I'd have ever chosen. But when I discovered I had it, I figured I had to try it. And you know what? It's not as bad as I'd have thought! (There's a ringing endorsement, right? )

In the vial, I smell the lichen and oak leaf, I think - it smells like a dark, damp cave - definitely wild and deep, but not dirty (except in the natural sense! That is, dirt-y, not dirty. ) There's a hint of anise.

On, the mossy smell backs off in favor of the ANISE (which seems to be fond of shouting). And I'm not sure how, but it's really clearing out my sinuses! Someone earlier mentioned the medicinal herb smell of vetiver, and I haven't tried enough notes yet to be able to identify vetiver on its own, but I'm suspecting that the vetiver is what's combining with the anise to create that kind of pungency. What I was really worried about was the civet, which in Fire of Love wavered back and forth pn me between dark and striking, and cat pee. Which, you know, ick (I have plenty of access to cat pee without putting it in my perfume!). But I'm really not picking out the civet particularly. It might be contributing to the almost bitter tang here, but it's not going cat pee (at least, not yet. I haven't had it on for hours yet).

Being fond of light and pretty or warm and pretty scents, and not especially fond of anise, I can't see myself really wearing this, but I'm glad I got the chance to try it, and to discover that it's not horrible. So I can kind of understand the Black Annis lovers, but I'm not one of them!

(Edited to add: as time has passed, it's actually dried down into a sort of powdery anise, and dare I say, it's almost pretty? Kind of like an old woman who comes off kind of scary initially - harsh and unforgiving - who turns out to be a lot nicer once you get to know her. Still probably not my favorite, but a fascinating scent.)

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I got this one as a frimp off eBay... (if you're the one who sent it to me recently with Wolf Moon, let me know so I can leave feedback here!)

In the bottle, it smelled almost like dark chocolate that's been sitting too long and was some sort of fruit flavored to start with, only without most of the chocolate...I can't really describe it. On my skin I still can't really describe it...maybe like the attic of a great aunt that likes those dark, dead, icky shades of green (like some of my dad's couches, only darker - I hate the color!) and beige, you find a chest and brush the dust off it and open it and you find that flavored chocolate in there that's been there for 50 years. Plus a little bit of something that's vaguely rootbeer-ish.

Reading the description and reviews, that'd probably be the anise. Cave moss, I can see that, and it does have sort of a medicinal herb smell, not than I've ever *used* anything that smells like this, but I wouldn't be surprised if some sort of concoction did. The cave moss and lichen seems relatively close, color-wise to the description of my dad's couches, and the hag the great aunt that might wear this and let chocolate rot before letting someone eat it! It's sharp, cool and rotting, and just a little acrid. My least favorite of what I've tried, but not so bad as to make me want to wash it off immediately, so I'll keep wearing it and see if it changes into anything else.

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This is a wonderful deep scent that reminds me of the Missouri Ozarks: rolling forested hills, amazing caves, and strange folk stories of ghosts, witches, and moonshine.

When wet I get a quick impression of chocolate. Drying I can pick up the licorice scent that others here have mentioned, but it's not overwhelming. After a while I can definately sense anise, wet oak leaves, and vetiver - maybe it's my skin, but I can't really detect the civet. Overall it's wet and richly fragrant like the deep woods after an early spring rain.

I may have to have a 5ml bottle of this after all.

Update 02/09/07: I've worn it everyday this week and I think I am absolutely in love with BPAL's Black Annis. After it settles on my skin for a few hours it gives off a scent of a very nuanced and rich....mmmm....vanilla? I can only imagine how lovely it will be as it ages.

BTW...I did order a 5ml bottle.

Edited February 9, 2007 by Archaic Smile

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This smells like a combination of vetiver and anise on me. When the anise is too strong for me, which is often, it reminds me too much of licorice. When the anise isn't too strong, which isn't as often as I'd like, it smells like an expensive perfume. It's deep and dry -- not exactly what I'd call "lovely," but certainly intriguing. I can see this scent being terribly sexy on the right person.

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I ordered an imp of this from the lab as part of a wander through woodsy, earthy scents. I'm glad I didn't read the reviews before I tried it - they'd have scared me off!

On me, this scent starts out smelling like licorice with a hint of tobacco. It seems to disappear completely as it dries, and then, in about 15 minutes, it comes back up. It's an earthy scent, smelling of clove, anise, tobacco, and leather. I absolutely adore it - it's made it to my "will get a 5ml" list.

It may not work for some folks, but it definitely works for me!

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I didn't read the reviews or the complete write up before trying this on. I didn't want anything to sway my opinion one way or the other. I received an imp of this and with the first whiff my thought was-smoky, a little licorice. Not bad. I carried it around trying to decide if I wanted to dab it on because while I like red licorice, I really don't like black licorice. Not the smell, not the taste, not when the kids eat it. Forget about the husband. He might as well plan to sleep in the other room! So, After getting used to it , I went ahead and tried it.

It reminds me of my childhood when I explored the different caves in Minnesota. I could smell the dirty leaves and spongy moss. Or that earthy smell when you kick up the bottom of a slow moving stream. Not altogether bad, just a jumble of Nature with licorice thrown in.

I have been wearing it for a few hours now. I only put a slight a slight amount but can still smell it. Maybe that is the secret. Just like in Nature, a little is great for the senses but too much can be overwhelming.

Would I purchase a 5ml bottle? I think the imp would last a very loooooong time. It is an intriguing scent that I would wear out to an elegant dinner.

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I got two imps of Black Annis in the mail today, purchased off of the lovely indicolite! I basically offered to take all of her unwanted imps as I wanted to try scents I might not normally try, and Black Annis was certainly one of them, by its description.

Of course, once the imps arrived today, and I realized there were TWO imps of this, I began to worry a little. What if I don't like it? What if, what if, what if? I'd never really smelled civet or vetiver before, so I was kind of worried.

I've alternated between complete horror and complete fascination in the last few hours I've had some of this on. Either way, I can't stop sniffing it. It's been mostly musky on me, and I'm assuming that's the civet. So much so that the main thing that comes to mind is sex. It smells like sex -- clean, post shower. But sex. And I don't know if I want to walk around all day smelling like sex.

But then the anise comes out to play. It's not very strong, and not sweet at all, but it lends an herbal note to the musk that changes what I smell slightly. It's not sex anymore. Now it's cigarette smoke and leather -- something that sometimes led to sex in my younger years. I'm thinking this would smell FABULOUS on the right man.

Then I read the description again for the scent, and I can totally get the dank, damp cave thing where a hag might reside. It's amazingly evocative.

I won't be buying a bottle of this, but I won't be giving both imps away either. I'll be keeping one, to wear when I don't feel like being myself one day. It feels incredibly brazen, dark and edgy -- not sure if I'll have the courage to wear this outside of the house, but it's definitely worth another try or two.

Kudos to Beth, because this is one of the most evocative BPAL blends I've smelled yet.